Weaverville resident launches petition aiming to reduce sexual assault in NC

Dissatisfied with the “gray zones” surrounding sexual assault offenses in North Carolina, Weaverville resident Bailey Townley started a petition urging lawmakers to implement stricter criteria for sexual consent. As of Monday, Jan. 19, the movement had garnered some 79 signatures by concerned citizens from North Carolina and beyond.

Townley’s media release reads as follows:

Concerned citizen creates “Reduce Sexual Assault in North Carolina: Implement ‘Yes Means Yes’ Law” petition

On Jan. 4, Bailey Townley, a resident from Weaverville, NC created a petition to deliver to The North Carolina State House, The North Carolina State Senate, and Governor Pat McCrory. The goal of the petition is to help prevent sexual assault by eliminating the “gray zone” ­ leaving it clear to all parties involved in a sexual act whether or not the other party has consented, and to support the indictment of offenders by eliminating NC’s current loopholes regarding sexual assault and drug/alcohol use.

The petition is in need of signatures, and can be found on MoveOn.org. It states, “This petition is to request that the state of North Carolina implement legislature stating that Affirmative Consent is legally required in all situations of sexual intercourse, sexual acts, and sexual contact.

The policy shall include all of the following:

(1) An affirmative consent standard in the determination of whether consent was given by both parties to sexual activity. “A​ffirmative consent”​ means affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. It is the responsibility of each person involved in the sexual activity to ensure that he or she has the affirmative consent of the other or others to engage in the sexual activity. Lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent, nor does silence mean consent. Affirmative consent must be ongoing throughout a sexual activity and can be revoked at any time. The existence of a dating relationship between the persons involved, or the fact of past sexual relations between them, should never be assumed to be an indicator of consent.

(2) A policy that, in the evaluation of complaints in any disciplinary process, it shall not be a valid excuse to alleged lack of affirmative consent that the accused believed that the complainant consented to the sexual activity under either of the following circumstances:

  • (A) The accused’s ​belief in affirmative consent arose from the intoxication or recklessness of the accused.
  • (B) The accused did not take reasonable steps, in the circumstances known to the accused at the time, to ascertain whether the complainant affirmatively consented.

(3) A policy that the standard used in determining whether the elements of the complaint against the accused have been demonstrated is the preponderance of the evidence.

(4) A policy that, in the evaluation of complaints in the disciplinary process, it shall not be a valid excuse that the accused believed that the complainant affirmatively consented to the sexual activity if the accused knew or reasonably should have known that the complainant was unable to consent to the sexual activity under any of the following circumstances:

  • (A) The complainant was asleep or unconscious.
  • (B) The complainant was incapacitated due to the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medication, so that the complainant could not understand the fact, nature, or extent of the sexual activity.
  • (C) The complainant was unable to communicate due to a mental or physical condition.”

To sign the petition, click here.

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About Kat McReynolds
Kat studied entrepreneurship and music business at the University of Miami and earned her MBA at Appalachian State University. Follow me @katmAVL

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7 thoughts on “Weaverville resident launches petition aiming to reduce sexual assault in NC

  1. Bailey Townley

    Thank you very much for the support, this is incredibly important to me and could be important for the whole state.

    • Kat McReynolds

      Bailey, I’m happy to share the information so that others may read and consider the petition’s content.

  2. Shelley Townley

    Brave woman to take a stand and take on the difficult road to making change at the state level. This is a much needed update to our laws around sexual assault in a state where the overwhelming majority of suspects never face trial.

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